台灣各族原住民之間的兩性關係有相當的差異性，過去以父系／母系劃分失之簡略，而其劃分法也難以準確描述原住民文化中細膩的兩性關係。本研究以半結構式訪談法進行生命史的資料收集，對象為目前在台北地區工作或就讀的各族原住民。希望以詮釋學的文化主體性觀點，呈現他們對於自己文化中兩性關係的洞察及主觀詮釋，藉以討論兩性之間是否有可能跨越優勢／從屬或剝削／被剝削的對立，經濟權的掌控是否必然代表某一性別在其社會中處於優勢地位的議題。 　　研究結果分承傳與義務（社會制度中的權力）、衝突與圓融（權力行使的形式）、及兩性分工、經濟與自主性（權力展現的場域）等三個面向來討論，發現對原住民兩性關係的瞭解，恐怕需跨越傳統父權／母權的概念，因為對某些文化而言，社會的運作並不一定建築在權力擁有的基礎之上，而性別也不一定是該社會中權力運作的重要分際。西方社會主義女性主義及馬克思主義女性主義強調，經濟能力缺乏是女性居於次級地位的主因，這些理論運用在原住民文化中似乎要有所保留。過去探討兩性權力議題的研究，過度著重在「公領域」及「平等」的表徵，也往往使得我們錯失了洞察文化深層內涵的機會。未來我們應重視性別關係中的契約化（contractualization）的概念，因為制度上的兩性平等雖然隨婦女運動而改善，但文化深層中個人與制度間的內隱規則，才是使每個社會中呈現出差異而不變本質的重要因素。

Amongst Taiwan’s aboriginal tribes, one can observe a great variety of gender relationships; however, merely classifying them in terms of the society’s patrilineal or matrilineal character would limit our understanding of the gender contracts?real conditions. This study employs a semistructured interview methodology to explore the life histories of aboriginal people living or working in Taipei City. In taking as our point of departure the principles of subjective hermeneutics, we hope to give voice to the aboriginal peoples themselves, and allow them to represent their own perception of what gender relationships in their cultures are like. Focusing on the gendered power relations, we examine how the dichotomy between the dominated and dominating/exploited and exploiting is defined, and whether control of property determines the dominating power of one of the sexes. 　　Our discussion focuses on three different dimensions: first, the means of handing down power within one’s family (power in social systems); second, conflict and resolution systems (forms of power); and third, the structures of labor division, economy and autonomy (fields of power). We conclude that the description of aboriginal gender relationships cannot be limited to the matriarchal and patriarchal concepts, neither can we, at least in certain cultures, determine the source of power and exploitation on the sole basis of gender. 　　Although socialist and Marxist feminisms presuppose that women’s oppression stems from their weak position within the economic autonomy this theoretical construct needs to be treated with reservations when applied to the cultural realities of the aboriginal societies. Overemphasizing power-control and gender equality within the public sphere may cause one to lose the opportunity to judge gendered power relations from a more equal perspective, thus closing the doors to the possibility of exploring deeper cultural layers. 　　Even though under the pressure of women’s movements, social systems transform and gender equality improves, the implicit rules guiding the relationship between an individual and the society remain unaltered. Since these rules are the main cause of cultural differences, rather than merely over-emphasizing gender equality, we choose to focus on the phenomenon of gender contractualization as exhibited in different cultures.